What a year it’s been! From finding out life as we knew it was going to change with the addition of a little Wilson, to actually brining him home, 2012 has been a very good year for us after the many heartbreaks of 2011.

I’m not a huge fan of resolutions; I find they’re too easily broken, but I wanted to spend some time reflecting on what was probably one of the biggest years of my life in a positive way. So, I’d like to take a bit of a retrospective and give thanks for what was and share my hopes for what’s to come.

This year, I’m thankful for: Continue reading →

On Monday night, hubs and I were able to do a tour of the hospital where we’re planning on welcoming little one. I wanted to do this tour so as to better know what to expect and where we’d be going in and staying.

I was really hoping that doing the tour would help ease some of the anxiety I’d been feeling surrounding having a hospital birth, but I ended up having a panic attack in the labour room.

For as much as the hospital we’ve chosen is progressive and unlike the hospitals of the past, things still just felt so… medical. And I don’t think of birthing as an illness needing treatment. So. Continue reading →

I’ve tried not to think about it too much, but it’s one of those things that is just always in the back of your mind no matter how hard you try to quash it down.

My own impending motherhood has had me so desperately missing my own mother during this journey.

Not only am I missing out on the support and guidance from the most trusted and important woman in my life, there are some family history questions asked by mine and baby’s medical team which I just can’t answer because she’s not around and my dad can’t remember.

Sans mama, I get the sads quite a bit.

You have this vision of your life when you’re young, about how things will be when you grow up. I know I did.

My mom would be at my high school graduation. My university graduation. Celebrating my first job. My wedding. See grandchildren. Live long and die old and comfortable in her sleep.

But life is never what you expect. Continue reading →

Time for another confession. Over the last week or so, I have had the most unrelenting and compelling urge to stockpile and hoard household essentials.

It started innocently enough. Toilet paper, toothpaste, Windex. Slowly it grew into things like laundry soap, fabric softener and pet litter. Most recently, I’ve been overcome with an urge for tiny, tiny clothes.

Husband and I had both agreed to hold off on buying any clothes for little one until after baby’s shower so we can take assessment of sizes and items we’ll actually need, versus simply stockpiling outfits he/she may not even get the chance to wear before outgrowing. While in theory I agree with him, I just couldn’t help myself yesterday and picked up two adorable little onesies – in size 3-6 months – with the hope they’ll last a bit longer than any newborn pieces. Continue reading →

Having a baby is a very exciting thing, and one that many people take an interest in. As soon as the cat’s out of the bag that you’re expecting, a game of (well-meaning) 50 questions begins.

Everyone’s got their opinions on what you should be doing, and everyone is curious about the ins-and-outs of your bundle of joy.

‘When are you due?’ is probably the most-asked question, followed closely by ‘Are you having a boy or a girl?’

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve answered these two questions over the last few months, but I can tell you that I get extremely irked every time someone reacts with disappointment to my answer about the sex of our unborn baby. Continue reading →

I have a confession to make. Before becoming pregnant, I paid little mind to the expiry dates on food labels, often taking the ‘sniff test’ approach to determine whether or not something was still fit for consumption.

I know I’m not alone in this habit.

Many people have told me they do the same thing, or will take the other approach to food safety, that is, a food is simply ‘best before’ its best before date – and is still probably good for a couple of days after that.

While we know these things can potentially put us at risk for illness, we do them anyways – whether out of a sense of obligation to eat what we’ve paid good money for or because it’s something we really enjoy. Continue reading →

I love my husband, I truly do – but sometimes I just can’t for the life of me understand the man!

For all the fuss I make about unsolicited touches to my belly, the one person I want to touch it, aside from myself, is my husband.

I’ve practically had to beg him to touch (or even look at!) my belly nearly every time little one gets a good stompin’ and punchin’ going, in the hopes that he can feel the baby and make a connection too. All the books say that this is a great way to get your partner involved with your pregnancy, so I’ve been really trying to get him engaged. Continue reading →

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to be a mother. I can recall being in grade school and the teacher asking us what we wanted to be when we grew up.

“A mom” was always my answer, much to the humour of my classmates. (Sorry guys, I still don’t understand what’s so laughable about being a life-giver and most influential person in a child’s life, but I digress.)

Maybe it was because my own mother stayed at home to raise my sister and I that influenced my answer those many years ago, or maybe it was some deep seeded urge within me to nurture and love.

Either way, starting a family has always been top of priority for me. So when hubs and I decided that ‘if it happened, it happened’ last summer, I was super thrilled when it happened fairly quick – even if it was still slightly unexpected. Continue reading →

As they saying goes: “common sense is not so common.” I propose the same could said for common courtesy.

Three. That’s the number of times I’ve been offered a seat at rush hour on public transit in the first six months of my pregnancy. Three times during this (minimum) twice a day, every day routine.

I realize that the first few months it wasn’t very obvious that I was in fact expecting, but for the last 4-6 weeks or so, I’ve ‘popped’ and it’s quite obvious to the majority of people who  look at me that I haven’t just gained a few pounds. Still, no one will offer up a seat. Continue reading →

There’s just something about a pregnant woman that gets everyone around her excited and feeling happy. It makes sense; new life is such a precious, beautiful thing – it’s not hard to see why people seem to lose their minds around a woman with a burgeoning belly.

And  losing their minds is about best way I can describe what happens when someone who sees a pregnant woman and touches her belly without permission.

Because who in their right mind would think it appropriate to just reach out and touch somebody in a personal spot, with no invitation to do so extended?!

You wouldn’t think it appropriate to touch my belly any other time – just because I’m pregnant does not change anything. Continue reading →